EP3807701A1 - Appareil pour la génération d'une image virtuelle comprenant une source lumineuse séparée dans l'espace - Google Patents

Appareil pour la génération d'une image virtuelle comprenant une source lumineuse séparée dans l'espace

Info

Publication number
EP3807701A1
EP3807701A1 EP19731673.0A EP19731673A EP3807701A1 EP 3807701 A1 EP3807701 A1 EP 3807701A1 EP 19731673 A EP19731673 A EP 19731673A EP 3807701 A1 EP3807701 A1 EP 3807701A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
light
generating
light source
virtual image
image
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP19731673.0A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Rudolf Mitsch
Arne Jachens
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Continental Automotive Technologies GmbH
Original Assignee
Continental Automotive GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Continental Automotive GmbH filed Critical Continental Automotive GmbH
Publication of EP3807701A1 publication Critical patent/EP3807701A1/fr
Pending legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B27/00—Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00
    • G02B27/01—Head-up displays
    • G02B27/0101—Head-up displays characterised by optical features
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B27/00—Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00
    • G02B27/01—Head-up displays
    • G02B27/0101—Head-up displays characterised by optical features
    • G02B2027/0112—Head-up displays characterised by optical features comprising device for genereting colour display
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B27/00—Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00
    • G02B27/0081—Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00 with means for altering, e.g. enlarging, the entrance or exit pupil

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a device for generating a virtual image.
  • a head-up display also referred to as a HUD, is understood to mean a display system in which the viewer can maintain his viewing direction, since the content to be displayed is faded into his field of vision. While such systems were originally primarily used in the field of aviation due to their complexity and costs, they are now also being used in large series in the automotive sector.
  • Head-up displays generally consist of an image generator, an optical unit and a mirror unit.
  • the image generator creates the image.
  • the optical unit guides the image onto the mirror unit.
  • the image generator is often referred to as an imaging unit or PGU (Picture Generating Unit).
  • the mirror unit is a partially reflective, translucent pane. The viewer therefore sees the content displayed by the image generator as a virtual image and at the same time the real world behind the window.
  • the windshield is often used as a mirror unit in the automotive sector, the curved shape of which must be taken into account in the illustration. Due to the interaction of the optical unit and mirror unit, the virtual image is an enlarged representation of the image generated by the image generator.
  • the viewer can only view the virtual image from the position of the so-called eyebox.
  • An eyebox is an area whose height and width are theoretical Viewing window corresponds. As long as an eye of the viewer is inside the eyebox, all elements of the virtual image are visible to the eye. If, on the other hand, the eye is outside the eyebox, the virtual image is only partially or not at all visible to the viewer. The larger the eyebox, the less restricted the viewer is in choosing his seating position.
  • the size of the eyebox of conventional head-up displays is limited by the size of the optical unit.
  • One approach to enlarging the eyebox is to couple the light coming from the imaging unit into an optical waveguide.
  • the light coupled into the optical waveguide is totally reflected at its interfaces and is thus guided within the optical waveguide.
  • a part of the light is coupled out at a plurality of positions along the direction of propagation.
  • the exit pupil is dilated by the optical waveguide.
  • the effective exit pupil is composed of images of the aperture of the imaging system.
  • US 2016/0124223 A1 describes a display device for virtual images.
  • the display device includes an optical waveguide that causes light coming from an imaging unit that is incident through a first light incident surface to be repeatedly subjected to an internal reflection to move in a first direction away from the first light incident surface.
  • the optical waveguide also causes part of the light guided in the optical waveguide to exit to the outside through regions of a first light exit surface that extends in the first direction.
  • the display device further includes a first light-on-fall diffraction grating that diffracts incident light to cause the diffracted light to enter the optical fiber occurs, and a first light-emitting diffraction grating that diffracts light from the optical fiber.
  • a device for generating a virtual image has:
  • a display element comprising a controllable mirror unit for generating an image
  • At least one light source for generating light with a given wavelength to illuminate the controllable mirror unit
  • An amplifier medium for amplifying the light generated by the at least one light source.
  • a high light intensity is required in the lighting unit of the head-up display.
  • an amplifier medium is used according to the invention. The light with the required wavelength is sent through the amplifier medium. After leaving the amplifier medium, the amplified light with the desired high light output is directed onto the imaging unit, the display element.
  • the solution according to the invention makes it possible to generate a highly visible virtual image even in bright ambient conditions without requiring a light source of high power.
  • part of the imaging unit, namely the light generation can be flexibly positioned. This allows an optimized use of the limited space available.
  • the at least one light source is a laser.
  • Lasers have the advantage of providing parallel and collimated light.
  • lasers generally emit narrowband light in a well-defined wavelength range.
  • the amplifier medium is a fiber amplifier.
  • the use of a fiber amplifier has the advantage that the amplifier medium in this case, in addition to amplifying the light coupled into the fiber amplifier, also enables the light to be guided in the direction of the imaging unit.
  • the device has a pump light source for providing energy for the amplification. medium.
  • the pump light source is preferably used in conjunction with a fiber amplifier.
  • the amplifier medium is pumped through a strong light source.
  • the pump light source emits a different wavelength than the wavelength to be amplified.
  • the use of a pump light source makes it possible to place the energy source, and thus a heat source, away from the rest of the imaging unit. This reduces the thermal load on the remaining imaging unit.
  • the pump light is coupled out of the beam path after leaving the amplifier medium.
  • the pump light is preferably decoupled from the beam path by a partially transparent mirror and directed into a beam trap.
  • the amplified light with the desired wavelength is separated from the light with the pump wavelength. This ensures that the pump light remaining after the amplification is not coupled into the optical waveguide, which could have a disruptive effect on the image quality.
  • the device has three light sources for generating light in three elementary colors. If a color image is to be displayed, at least three light sources are provided, with appropriate amplifiers as required. For example, a light source can be provided for each of the RGB colors. Instead of red, green and blue, other colors can also be used which are suitable for forming a color image.
  • the device has at least one nonlinear optical medium in order to generate light in an elementary color by frequency conversion from the light emitted by a light source.
  • Fiber amplifiers are in the area optical data transmission is widespread and therefore inexpensively available, but generally works there in the near infrared spectral range. Frequency conversion allows the desired elementary color to be generated in the visible spectral range when using such fiber amplifiers.
  • frequency conversion is frequency doubling.
  • the frequency doubling is characterized by a comparatively high efficiency under the nonlinear optical effects.
  • a device according to the invention is preferably used in a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle.
  • the concept of laser light amplification by fiber amplifiers on which the invention is based can also be used for strong headlight illuminations. This application also enables flexible spatial placement of the light source and thus an optimized use of the available installation space.
  • Fig. 1 shows schematically a head-up display according to the prior art for a motor vehicle
  • Fig. 2 shows an optical fiber with two-dimensional
  • Fig. 3 shows schematically a head-up display with light waveguide
  • Fig. 4 shows schematically a head-up display with light waveguide in a motor vehicle
  • Fig. 5 shows schematically an inventive device for
  • FIG. 6 schematically shows an imaging unit with a spatially separated light source.
  • the head-up display has an image generator 1, an optical unit 2 and a mirror unit 3.
  • a beam of rays SB1 emanates from a display element 11 and is reflected by a folding mirror 21 onto a curved mirror 22, which reflects it in the direction of the mirror unit 3.
  • the mirror unit 3 is here as Windshield 31 of a motor vehicle shown. From there, the beam of rays SB2 moves in the direction of an eye 61 of an observer.
  • the viewer sees a virtual image VB, which is located outside the motor vehicle above the bonnet or even in front of the motor vehicle. Due to the interaction of the optical unit 2 and the mirror unit 3, the virtual image VB is an enlarged representation of the image displayed by the display element 11. A speed limit, the current vehicle speed and navigation instructions are shown here symbolically. As long as the eye 61 is within the eye box 62 indicated by a rectangle, all elements of the virtual image are visible to the eye 61. If the eye 61 is outside the eyebox 62, the virtual image VB is only partially or not at all visible to the viewer. The larger the eyebox 62, the less restricted the viewer is in choosing his seating position.
  • the curvature of the curved mirror 22 serves on the one hand to prepare the beam path and thus to provide a larger image and a larger eyebox 62.
  • the curvature compensates for a curvature of the windshield 31, so that the virtual image VB corresponds to an enlarged reproduction of the image represented by the display element 11.
  • the curved mirror 22 is rotatably supported by means of a bearing 221. The rotation of the curved mirror 22 made possible thereby enables the eyebox 62 to be displaced and thus the position of the eyebox 62 to be adapted to the position of the eye 61.
  • the folding mirror 21 serves to ensure that the path covered by the beam SB1 between the display element 11 and the curved mirror 22 is long, and at the same time the optical unit 2 is still compact.
  • the optical unit 2 is countered by a transparent cover 23 delimited the environment.
  • the optical elements of the optical unit 2 are thus protected, for example, against dust located in the interior of the vehicle.
  • On the cover 23 there is also an optical film 24 or a coating which is intended to prevent incident sunlight SL from reaching the display element 11 via the mirrors 21, 22. Otherwise this could be temporarily or permanently damaged by the heat generated.
  • an infrared portion of the sunlight SL is filtered out by means of the optical film 24, for example.
  • a glare shield 25 serves to shade incident light from the front, so that it is not reflected by the cover 23 in the direction of the windshield 31, which could cause glare to the viewer.
  • the light from another interference light source 64 can also reach the display element 11.
  • Fig. 2 shows a schematic spatial representation of a flat optical waveguide 5 with two-dimensional magnification.
  • a coupling hologram 53 can be seen, by means of which light LI coming from an imaging unit (not shown) is coupled into the optical waveguide 5. In it, it spreads to the top right in the drawing, according to arrow L2.
  • a folding hologram 51 which acts similarly to many partially transparent mirrors arranged one behind the other, and generates a light beam that is widened in the Y direction and propagates in the X direction. This is indicated by three arrows L3.
  • Fig. 3 shows a spatial representation of a head-up display with three flat optical fibers 5R, 5G, 5B, which are arranged one above the other and each represent an elementary color red, green and blue. Together they form the optical waveguide 5.
  • the holograms 51, 52, 53 present in the optical waveguide 5 are wavelength-dependent, so that one optical waveguide 5R, 5G, 5B is used for each of the elementary colors.
  • An image generator 1 and an optical unit 2 are shown above the optical waveguide 5.
  • the optics unit 2 has a mirror 20, by means of which the light generated by the image generator 1 and shaped by the optics unit 2 is deflected in the direction of the respective coupling hologram 53.
  • the image generator 1 has three light sources 14R, 14G, 14B for the three elementary colors. It can be seen that the entire unit shown has a low overall height compared to its light-emitting surface.
  • FIG. 4 shows a head-up display in a motor vehicle similar to FIG. 1, but here in a spatial representation and with an optical waveguide 5.
  • the schematically indicated image generator 1 which generates a parallel beam SB1, which is generated by means of the mirror plane 523 is coupled into the optical fiber 5.
  • the optics unit is not shown for the sake of simplicity.
  • Several mirror planes 522 each reflect a portion of the light impinging on them in the direction of the windshield 31, the mirror unit 3, from which the light is reflected in the direction of the eye 61. The viewer sees a virtual image VB above the bonnet or even further away from the motor vehicle.
  • Fig. 5 shows a device according to the invention in a schematic representation.
  • the optical waveguide 5 has a first optical waveguide 510 that widens in the Y direction and a second optical waveguide 520 that widens in the X direction.
  • a pump light source 71 is connected to the image generator 1 by means of an amplifier medium 72, which here consists of three optical fibers. This is enlarged in Fig. 6 and shown with more details. The optics unit is not shown for the sake of simplicity.
  • FIG. 6 schematically shows the image generator 1 with a spatially separated light source 14B.
  • a controllable mirror unit 73 which acts as a display element 11, can be seen in the image generator 1.
  • the mirror unit 73 consists, for example, of a two-dimensional arrangement of micromirrors, which are caused by activation and are each in one of two positions. A beam of light striking it is thus modulated in a pixel grid in order to generate the virtual image.
  • the controllable mirror unit 73 consists of a mirror which can be adjusted about several axes and which is controlled in such a way that a laser beam incident on it is reflected according to a two-dimensional raster and in this way generates the virtual image.
  • the light of predetermined wavelength generated by the light source 14B thus serves to illuminate the controllable mirror unit 73.
  • the pump light source 71 which generates pump light of a pump wavelength, and the spatially separated one can be seen on the far right Light source 14B of a predetermined wavelength, here for blue light.
  • the light coming from the pump light source 71 and the light source 14B is coupled into an amplifier medium 72, indicated here by a partially transparent mirror 74.
  • the amplifier medium 72 the light coming from the light source 14B is amplified by absorbing energy from the pump light of the pump light source 71.
  • the pump light is attenuated accordingly and is coupled out of the beam path at the end or after leaving the amplifier medium 72. This is indicated here by means of a further partially transparent mirror 75, which directs the remaining pump light into a beam trap 76.
  • Further light sources 14R and 14G are indicated here as schematic boxes. They can be designed as conventional light sources, for example as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), if they are able to provide the desired light intensity.
  • LEDs light-emitting diodes
  • Fiber amplifiers are widely used in the field of optical data transmission, but generally work there in the near infrared spectral range. If such fiber amplifiers are to be used, the desired elementary colors can be generated by frequency conversion from the amplified light, preferably by frequency doubling.
  • Light in the green spectral range can be generated using a ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier at a pump wavelength of 975nm. See, for example, M. Stappel et al. : "High power, continuous-wave, single-frequency fiber amplifier at 1091nm and frequency doubling to 545.5nm", Laser Physics Vol. 23 (2013).
  • Light in the blue spectral range can be generated using a ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier at a pump wavelength of 914nm. See, for example, A. Bouchier et al. : "Frequency doubling of an efficient continuous wave single-mode Yb-doped fiber laser at 978 nm in a periodically-poled MgO: LiNbCy waveguide", Optics Express Vol. 13 (2005), pages 6974-6979.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Instrument Panels (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un appareil pour la génération d'une image virtuelle. L'appareil comprend au moins une source lumineuse (14R, 14G, 14B) pour la génération de lumière ayant une longueur d'onde prédéfinie, un élément d'affichage pour la génération d'une image et un conducteur à fibres optiques pour l'élargissement d'une pupille de sortie. L'appareil comprend en outre un milieu amplificateur (72) pour l'amplification de la lumière générée par l'au moins une source lumineuse (14R, 14G, 14B).
EP19731673.0A 2018-06-15 2019-06-13 Appareil pour la génération d'une image virtuelle comprenant une source lumineuse séparée dans l'espace Pending EP3807701A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE102018209646 2018-06-15
DE102018211035 2018-07-04
PCT/EP2019/065548 WO2019238847A1 (fr) 2018-06-15 2019-06-13 Appareil pour la génération d'une image virtuelle comprenant une source lumineuse séparée dans l'espace

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3807701A1 true EP3807701A1 (fr) 2021-04-21

Family

ID=66951931

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19731673.0A Pending EP3807701A1 (fr) 2018-06-15 2019-06-13 Appareil pour la génération d'une image virtuelle comprenant une source lumineuse séparée dans l'espace

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP3807701A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2019238847A1 (fr)

Family Cites Families (10)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH1197779A (ja) * 1997-09-22 1999-04-09 Sony Corp 多色光の変調増幅器及びこれを用いた投射型表示装置
AU1334100A (en) * 1999-10-29 2001-05-14 Microvision, Inc. Linked scanner imaging system and method
JP4254030B2 (ja) * 2000-08-07 2009-04-15 ソニー株式会社 光走査装置およびそれを用いた投射型表示装置
US7280567B2 (en) * 2004-03-12 2007-10-09 Pavilion Integration Corporation High-power red, orange, green, blue (ROGB) fiber lasers and applications thereof
US7719766B2 (en) * 2007-06-20 2010-05-18 Texas Instruments Incorporated Illumination source and method therefor
CA2643955C (fr) * 2007-11-20 2013-12-31 Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. Methodes et dispositif de production de lumiere laser rvb
WO2011015843A2 (fr) * 2009-08-07 2011-02-10 Light Blue Optics Ltd Affichages tête haute
FR3014209B1 (fr) * 2013-11-29 2017-03-03 Commissariat Energie Atomique Dispositif d'extension de pupille de sortie et viseur tete haute comportant ce dispositif
JP2016085430A (ja) 2014-10-29 2016-05-19 セイコーエプソン株式会社 虚像表示装置
DE102016115938A1 (de) * 2016-08-26 2018-03-01 Carl Zeiss Jena Gmbh Wellenleiter sowie Vorrichtungen zur Dateneinspiegelung

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